The real reason why the world celebrates April Fool's Day

It's a common part of modern culture, from America to Asia, but yet the story behind April Fool's Day couldn't be more obscure.

The origin of this day, filled with pranks and jokes, has no direct tale in history. However, there are various theories as to why the day came into being.

One of the most popular stories takes the day back to 1582, to the time of the switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.


The Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, marked January 1 as the New Year. People who didn't follow the new calendar, and continued to celebrate the New Year during the last week of March through April 1 were at the receiving end of jokes and pranks, a tradition that has continued.

However, other theorists say that the first mention of the day was in Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales'.

The day is also often linked to the Greco-Roman festival Hilaria. Celebrated in honour of the ancient Greek Mother of Gods, Cybele, it included masquerades, parades, and jokes.

Though, there is no confirmation as to why the day came into being, it is in a way symbolic, that the day which celebrates pranks and jokes, would have a murky origin.

Happy Fool's Day!